Rapid Analysis:
More rapid analysis is required -
Rapid determination of Co in steels can be carried out by IDA using carrier free 60Co of known activity. A small sample of steel is extracted from the furnace melt, dissolved in acid and to this tracer solution is added. To the resultant solution arbitrary amount of cobalt metal is electro deposited, its activity and mass are determined. Therefore, amount of cobalt in original steel sample is routinely determined.
It is impossible to obtain the entire sample for analysis -
Total blood volume in human body may be determined by IDA using 51Cr (t½ = 27.7 d), 59Fe (t½ = 44.5 d) or even 32P (t½ = 14 d). The procedure involves removal of a few cm3 of blood from the body, further of tracer of known activity and re injection within the body. Tracer binds itself along with the hemoglobin in the blood cells. After equilibration for a few hours (approximately 2.5 h), a small aliquot of blood is removed for the counting of activity. From these measurements, total blood volume is determined. Same, total amount of water in a pond or lake and of oil in a huge container might be determined.